Jury Selection Begins in Trial of Egyptian Sheik

NEW YORK —  A federal judge on Monday began the complicated task of selecting a jury to try Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman and 11 of his followers on charges of plotting bombings and assassinations in a war of terrorism against the United States.

Judge Michael B. Mukasey ordered the first group of 100 potential jurors to answer 53 questions as part of the selection process, including whether they were present at the World Trade Center when it was bombed in February, 1993; whether they have strong views about informants or wiretaps, and whether they have ever heard a sermon or lecture by Abdel Rahman--the 56-year-old, blind Egyptian cleric charged with being at the center of the conspiracy.

The sheik and his followers are accused of plotting to bomb a number of New York targets, including the Lincoln and Holland commuter tunnels, U.N. headquarters and the field office of the FBI in Manhattan. They are also accused of scheming to kill Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak while he was on a visit to the United States and to assassinate local Jewish political figures.

Four defendants were convicted last year in the bombing of the World Trade Center that killed six people and injured more than 1,000. The current trial is an outgrowth of the trade center attack, but the plots alleged in the indictment weren’t carried out.

Mukasey said he hoped to complete selection of a jury by the end of the month and told prospective jurors they would not be sequestered during the trial, which he said could last as long as nine months. Some defense lawyers predicted privately that the trial could take a year.

When the judge made it clear how time consuming the trial would be, one man gasped. His dismay brought chuckles from other potential jurors seated next to him.

In a hearing after potential jurors had left the courtroom, members of the defense team expressed concern that the judge had not made it clear that Jews were allegedly targeted by the conspirators.

“When the first tape is played in the case that says, ‘Let’s kill the Jews,’ I don’t want the Jewish jurors to stand up and say, ‘Why didn’t you tell us about this,’ ” said John Jacobs, lawyer for defendant Mohammad Saleh. “I think we are hiding our heads in the sand in this case.”

Mukasey agreed with the argument and said he would make that clear when he addresses another group of 100 potential jurors today.